We've all been in that situation in which we fired off a text or email that we really didn't mean to send. Perhaps the message was meant for someone else, or maybe you were burned by the infamous autocorrect.  Let's face it: Mistakes happen. If they didn't, there wouldn't be websites dedicated to poking fun at others' texting mishaps. It's these types of unfortunate incidents that pushed Anamorphica Productions and Moonth Media to introduce Shoot the Messenger, an innovative texting tool found on the Google Play Store.

The application is simple and a little rough around the edges, but it offers several handy tools for busy texters. The app isn't terribly pretty to look at currently, but we'll get to that later. To start, simply boot up the app, import your conversations and start texting. You'll see all of your current threads from your other SMS apps and you can also use Shoot the Messenger for email. One thing that really impressed me was the fact that none of my friends have to actually use the app. Shoot the Messenger doesn't use your data to send the messages, instead working like your regular texting app and sending the message over the cellular network.

The primary function of Shoot the Messenger is to delay the sending process so that you can preview them and prevent any embarrassing messages from reaching your contacts. Once you hit the send button, you'll have 15 seconds to hit it again in order to prevent the message from being sent. It's simple, effective and it really helps put a stop to careless texting.On top of the message-delay function, Shoot the Messenger offers the ability to schedule messages and emails to be sent at a later time as well as a cool low key "Stealth Mode." Stealth Mode allows the user to temporarily blackout their entire contact list, which then blocks any incoming messages. I can see this mode coming in handy when the next finale of The Walking Dead premieres. Seriously, nobody likes spoilers.

Overall I was fairly happy with Shoot the Messenger. The developers are looking to continuously make progress and improve the app which is a must for any SMS program. My biggest complaint about Shoot the Messenger has to be its presentation and appearance. I found the presentation to be a bit boring and plain. But this should only be a temporary complain as a promise from the developers to bring a fresh UI within the next month to align Shoot the Messenger with an Android Kit Kat style will indeed receive a very warm welcome. 

The Wrap-up

The Good: I love all of the great tools that Shoot the Messenger offers and how easy the app is to use. Stealth Mode is a great feature, and you can use the app even if your contacts don't. Frequent updates and a near future UI overhaul make for happy users.

The Bad: The current theme and UI is a bit boring.

The Verdict: I think that the development team has some really great ideas here. I love the Stealth Mode option and believe that feature alone makes Shoot the Messenger worth a look. Currently the SMS app goes for $0.99 on the Google Play store, and with the last couple patch updates and a promise for a new UI in the next month, I would say Shoot the Messenger has to be in the discussion for those looking for a new SMS application with some cool extra features. Be sure to download Shoot the Messenger and let us know what you think!